UMD Student Named Minnesota
Master of Social Work Student of the Year
Cited for Outstanding Service to the Duluth Community

UMD
social work student and May 2005 graduate, Erik Torch, was named Master
of Social Work (MSW) Student of the Year by the Minnesota Chapter of
the National Association of Social Workers at their June Annual Conference.
Mr. Torch was presented this award in recognition for his record of "outstanding
scholarship and service to the Duluth community."

While attending UMD, Mr. Torch served as the Social Services Program
Manager of the Damiano Center in Duluth. Damiano distributes 1000-1500
pieces of clothing or household items each day and provides about 85,000
meals a year to people in need. Since he began as Social Services Manager
two years ago, he has provided social services to literally thousands
of individuals. Mr. Torch was recently promoted to Damiano Center Associate
Director. In that role, he is responsible for providing leadership for
various programs as well as furthering the advocacy and public policy
efforts of the Damiano Center.

While at UMD, Mr. Torch maintained a 4.0 grade point average, and was
a major social activist in Duluth. As part of his work for a Masters
Research Project at UMD, he helped bring together a coalition of 10 profit
and non-profit agencies to do community education, organization, and
advocacy around dental care for low-income people. His efforts along
with others (involved in the coalition) have resulted in the prospect
of establishing a dental clinic for low income people. Mr. Torch was
awarded the Will Dodge Memorial Scholarship for this work.

Mr. Torch is also currently a member of the Mayor's Citizen Action Committee
to End Homelessness. According to Mike Raschick, Head, UMD Department
of Social Work, "The work of Erik Torch and other committee members
has raised the real possibility of virtually eradicating homelessness
in Duluth."

Prior to attending UMD, Mr. Torch worked for Catholic Relief Services,
managing and advising peace building programs in Southeast Asia and Kosovo.
He also volunteered in Croatia and Yugoslavia for the Balkan Peace Team,
an international organization working to support grassroots peace and
human rights organizations in the former Yugoslavia. He is a native of
Newburgh, New York.

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